![Brazilian Pilot Arrested Onboard Plane Over Alleged Involvement in Child Sex Ring -- Woman Reportedly Offered Her Granddaughters to Him [Video]](https://balleralert.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Untitled-design-2026-02-11T180523533.png "Brazilian Pilot Arrested Onboard Plane Over Alleged Involvement in Child Sex Ring -- Woman Reportedly Offered Her Granddaughters to Him [Video] - Baller Alert")
Federal police boarded a commercial jet in São Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday morning and walked its captain off the aircraft in handcuffs before the flight ever left the gate.
Video
Video recorded at São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport shows officers moving down the aisle of a LATAM Airlines Brasil plane, stopping at the cockpit and escorting the pilot away as stunned passengers looked on. The flight had been preparing to depart for Rio de Janeiro when authorities stepped in.
The pilot, identified as 60-year-old Sérgio Antônio Lopes, was arrested as part of an investigation known as Operation Fasten Your Seatbelts. Investigators suspect him of participating in a child sexual exploitation ring that they allege operated for at least eight years.
According to police, Lopes is accused of taking underage girls to motels using falsified documents. Authorities also believe he may have been involved in a broader organized network tied to the production of child sexual abuse material and the rape of vulnerable victims. He was taken into custody under a temporary arrest warrant and later questioned. A 55-year-old woman was also arrested in connection with the case. Investigators allege she groomed and offered her granddaughters, ages 10, 12, and 14, to the pilot in exchange for payment. Police said the group under investigation showed “habitual behavior, division of roles, and coordinated action.”
Search and seizure warrants were carried out at properties in São Paulo and in the city of Guararema, where Lopes reportedly lived. Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing and have not ruled out additional arrests. Rumors online have floated about Lopes being named in the Epstein files, though this has not been verified.
In a statement, LATAM Airlines Brasil said it “has opened an internal investigation and is available to assist the authorities with the investigations.” The airline added that it “vehemently condemns any criminal activity and reiterates that it adheres to the highest standards of safety and conduct.”
Despite the arrest, flight LA3900 from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro operated on schedule, taking off and landing as planned.
